Daniel Wollstein
Audi TechDay Smart Factory
EOS M 400 at Audi.
Automotive manufacturer, Audi has begun a development partnership with EOS consulting division “Additive Minds” to support its metal 3D printing activity and the development of a 3D printing centre at its base in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Güngör Kara, Director of Global Application and Consulting, EOS commented: “The aim is to not only supply Audi with the right additive systems and processes but to also support them during applications development, when building up internal AM knowledge and training their engineers to become in-house AM experts.”
Already working closely with the technology, Audi is currently using industrial 3D printing for prototyping applications. The next step is to move into toolmaking where the technology will make possible the production of complex geometries that would have to be joined in conventional manufacturing.
Dr. Stefan Bindl, Team Manager Innovation Center, Additive Minds, explained: “Audi was looking for a reliable development partner and has found that in EOS. We are very happy about that. The close cooperation concerning application and process development as well as internal knowledge building makes a significant contribution, which is why Audi can quickly achieve substantial effects for their own business by applying our technology.”
Jörg Spindler, Head of Toolmaking, Audi, said: “We have set up our own competence centre for 3D printing in order to gain experience with the materials and the process, and to further develop them for series production. A close cooperation with AM solution providers such as EOS, who can support innovation in technology development, is essential for these aims. With this technology we are able to integrate internal structures and functions in tools that we have not been able to create so far with conventional manufacturing methods. Especially with components in small batches, we can now produce components using lightweight construction, quickly and economically based on this technology
Audi is also focusing on the production of inserts for die casting moulds and hot working segments. With complex additively manufactured cooling channels, the company can positively influence the process of series production by conformal cooling, producing parts and vehicle components more cost-effectively. In certain cases, the optimised cooling performance leads to a reduction of the cycle time by 20 percent, which has a positive effect on the energy consumption and cost efficiency of the components at the same time.
